This invention relates to light fixtures and particularly to a wall mounted light fixture having a lamp movable between an open and a closed position.
The use of exterior lighting for residential and commercial applications in the U.S. and other parts of the world is extremely popular. Exterior lighting is used for safety, recreational, aesthetics, and decorative reasons. Site lighting and perimeter lighting is standard practice for all new construction. Many municipalities have building codes that require a minimum light level for commercial retail buildings. One of the most common types of light fixtures used in exterior site and perimeter applications is the wall mounted style also known as “Wallpacks”. There are currently two basic configurations of wallpack light fixtures. There is the surface mounted and the semi-recessed mounted. Although both styles of light fixtures can illuminate the perimeter or site of a building, neither have all the advantages of a completely sealed and fully recessed retractable light fixture. The fully retractable light fixture blends into the architecture much better than a surface mount/box style lighting fixture. Surface mounted fixtures are often unsightly and can be exposed to vandalism during the daylight hours. The retractable light fixture is completely closed and sealed during the daylight hours which provides a better look and vandal resistant benefits. The retractable light fixture can also produce better photometrics than a semi-recessed fixture because the lamp compartment retracts completely out of its recessed housing. Semi-recessed wallpacks typically shine the light straight out which often produces ineffective lighting. Furthermore, semi-recessed light fixtures have their lenses completely exposed during daylight hours which is unsightly and subject to damage.
In my prior art U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,075,834 and 5,124,902 I provide retractable light fixtures mounted in a housing positioned in the ground and having a cover with a solenoid actuated lamp to move a retractable lamp from a retracted to an extended position. A retractable reading light is shown in the Alie et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,567,547 for an air and light utility assembly. Retractable vehicle lamp assemblies can be seen in the Yukimoto et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,630,179 for a retractable lamp which includes a lamp pivotally held on an axis to be extended and retracted into a housing and in the similar Fukura et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,785,382, for a retractable lamp device for vehicles. The Trenkler U.S. Pat. No. 4,121,478 is a retractable headlamp for motor vehicles while the Matsushiro U.S. Pat. No. 4,320,441 is a retractable headlight for a radio controlled toy vehicle.
The present invention is directed towards a retractable light fixture which can be mounted onto the side of an interior or exterior wall or in a wall, such as between the studs of a building wall, or in the soffit of a roof. The retractable light fixture allows the lamp to be opened by actuating a switch to apply power to the light fixture. Switching on the electric power both opens the lamp housing, turns on the lamp, and then holds the lamp in place with an electromagnetic brake. Switching off the power allows the electromagnetic brake to disengage, turns off the lamp and allows the housing to close.